Consultant for Western Balkans energy efficiency program needed

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) plans to establish the Western Balkans Green Economy Financing Facility with a total of EUR 85 million to finance residential energy efficiency and small-scale renewable energy investments.

To support the implementation of the facility, the EBRD will engage a consulting company which will carry out the facility preparation and launch as well as its implementation and verification, as stated in the invitation for expressions of interest notice. The consultant can be a consulting firm or a consortium of firms whose experts are required to perform the assignment on a full-time basis.

The consulting company will be required to establish a network of regional offices. It is also expected to engage a team of professionals with five years of previous experience in managing similar projects, relevant marketing experience, financial analysis and capital investment, residential buildings energy management, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

The assignment is expected to start in the first half of 2017 and will have an estimated duration of four years. The overall budget for the assignment is estimated at EUR 5.1 million, exclusive of VAT.

The EBRD states that the facility will take the form of credit lines which will be offered via participating financial intermediaries in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo*, Montenegro and Serbia.

The credit lines should incentivise the uptake of energy efficiency and renewable energy investments. They are available to individuals who live in apartments or family houses or to groups of individuals, housing associations and housing management companies. Intermediaries such as producers, vendors and service providers including construction companies, installers and ESCOs implementing green residential projects are also eligible for the funds provided by the facility.

The deadline for the submission of expressions of interest for consultancy services is January 30.